







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| Come on, Mike, it's not about me being home. | |
| You are welcome, here is the menu, madam. | |
| Why is that rice so special? | |
| Do we have a sieve? | |
| Pogo is my little cat, is there a problem with that? | |
| Look, you can watch the sunset best from this point. | |
| My cat is in the garden. | |
| You need to press the button down and turn it right. | |
| I wake up and make my bed, then tidy my room. | |
| Yes, he is totally fine after resting for a while. | |
| Of course, there are 4 girls, all uni students from Germany. | |
| Why do you think it's weird? | |
| Shall we meet at the train station, or do you want me to pick you up from your house? | |
| Yes, there are some knives, too. | |
| How long does the flight usually take? | |
| Of course, she is an angel, do you want to talk to your mum? | |
| Is the first one washing the dishes or cleaning? | |
| How is your cat? | |
| Also, I think we all need to leave soon. | |
| They weigh everything at the checkout. | |